Katarina
by Poetgirl616
Summary: A 22 year old Italian woman finds herself in Middle Earth and a lot of unexpected twists occur because of it. Story is better than the summary I promise! Contians lemons! On hold
1. Chapter 1: Waking Up In Neverland

**A/N: Katarina's dress is a blood red version of Jamie Lee Curtis' dress from True Lies. For photo reference of what Katarina looks like picture Nina Dobrev with eyes closer together.**

**Chapter One: Waking Up In Neverland**

Katarina Leonora looked around the dark forest, trying to find a suitable tree to climb so she could catch an idea of where she was. The last thing she recalled was coming home after a long night at work, falling asleep in her room after eating a little lunch. She woke up lying under a large pine tree in a forest possibly in the middle of the night. She wore a blood red spaghetti strap dress that ended a few inches above her knees and matching high heels. Her hair was in an elegant bun with a few strands of straight chocolate brown hair hung loose on each side. Her chocolate brown eyes surveyed the surrounding area with alarm. _I don't think I am in Sicily, Italy anymore_, she thought forlornly. Her brothers, Adolfo and Othello, would be worried about her. Would they send a search party soon?

Until then she would have to wait out the night in the forest. She searched the ground for a safe place to begin her fire, settling on a space three feet from the tree she woke under. She gathered sticks and small logs then tried to think of how to light the fire and keep it from spreading. She caught sight of some good sized stones on the forest floor about five feet to the left and created a circle around the pile of wood to prevent the fire from spreading. She sat back to look at her handy work and thought for a moment, one problem down one to go, now to start the fire without a lighter. _How am I going to accomplish that_? She thought.

Katarina knelt by her small pile of clothes, patting the pockets of her faded blue jeans for anything useful and to her delight, she found matches to start the fire and some packets of crackers to eat. She decided to gather extra wood then settle down a safe distance from the fire and let herself fall into the realm of sleep.

Katarina was cold when she woke and sat up shivering to find that her fire had extinguished sometime during the night. Her extra set of clothes had provided little additional warmth, leaving her chilled. She hastened to rekindle the fire in hopes to restore body warmth and was startled when she heard horses approaching. She abandoned the thought of rekindling the fire, gathering her extra clothes and hastened to hide behind a nearby tree.

Nine horses stopped before her makeshift camp and she heard two strangers dismount and begin walking to her fire. She peeked between two low hanging branches to see two men, a young blond and an older looking black haired man examining her camp. The older man turned to look at the younger man and asked him something in a strange language Katarina didn't understand.

"Aragorn, they could not have wandered far for their path is fresh and they tried to rekindle the fire before departing. The question we should ask is, why did they leave?" The young man replied in English.

"I'm not so sure they _did_ leave, Legolas. I have felt eyes on us since we stopped here, but I am not certain from where."

_Holy shit! Those guys are the Fellowship! I'M IN MIDDLE EARTH!_ _But . . . WHERE in Middle Earth?_ Katarina wondered in awe. _Hold on. If I'm in ME then how can I get back?_ She absentmindedly sighed at the thought of not finding a way back home. _Oops_.

"Halt! Show yourself! What business brings you so close to Rivendell?" Aragorn shouted.

She froze in place; _I have been near Rivendell this whole time? Has my presence change who carries the Ring?_ She wondered in confusion.

"Show yourself." Aragorn repeated, in a hard threatening tone.

She knew the Fellowship were supposed to be the good guys, but hearing them be so aggressive toward her frightened her immensely. She couldn't make herself leave her spot behind the tree and slid trembling to the ground.

Legolas was suddenly beside her, drawn bow in his hands and a deadly expression on his face as he directed his arrow to her head. Katarina gasped and braced herself against the tree staring at him with wide, terrified brown eyes. She couldn't help but feel like a trapped deer in the eye of a mountain lion and as a result her trembling worsened to the point of visible shaking. He lowered his bow with an apologetic yet confused look in his eyes. "Aragorn."

Aragorn sprung quickly into view, sword in hand and a fierce expression on his face. Kat cringed into the tree until she almost became part of it, frightened eyes darting between the two men as her heart hammered in her chest.

She swallowed and spoke through the lump in her throat. "_Pace, per favore non farmi del male, io sono un amico_. Please don't harm me, please don't. I don't know where I am or how I got here. I don't want trouble I just want to go home." Her voice broke and tears burned in her eyes.

The men looked awkward at the sight of her tears and Legolas stepped forward to pat her bare shoulder in comfort, women's tears had always made him uncomfortable. She leaned forward and hugged him without thinking, not noticing his hesitation before he hugged her back. She seemed oblivious to his discomfort with having any physical contact with anyone who he doesn't know personally. She pulled away after a moment and dried her eyes gazing at the ground sheepishly. "I'm sorry; I should not have done that."

Aragorn cleared his throat loudly and glanced pointedly at the rest of the Fellowship. "Legolas, we must consult with the group on how to handle the situation, Gandalf will know what to do. What is your name child?"

"Katarina Leonora." Katarina answered quietly, not looking at either of the men.

The old Ranger softened his expression a bit, while he deliberated. "Katarina, we need you to walk with us to meet our group. We have a need to hold a discussion among ourselves to find a solution to your problem."

_They would not leave me here, would they?_ She quickly went over what she learned about them from the Lord of the Rings novels. _No, they wouldn't_. She bit her lip and stared at them for a moment before nodding and prepared to stand up. Aragorn held out his hand to assist her but withdrew when he saw her halt immediately to the friendly action. She sat there for a moment in her spot, staring at him warily almost expecting him to try to hurt her. After another moment of inactivity, she accepted his hand and silently followed the ranger and elf to the Fellowships' horses. The Elf and Ranger walked on either side of her, hand on their weapons and a wary eye on the newcomer. The Ranger noticed her shivering but fought with himself for a moment, his compassionate nature warring with his suspicion, before stopping his companions halfway to the Fellowship and draped his cloak around her shoulders.

The Fellowship gazed at the trio strangely. Boromir, Gimli, and Sam with suspicion, Frodo with vague interest, Merry and Pippin with curiosity. Gandalf didn't seem surprised in the slightest. This observation interested Aragorn and Legolas greatly. What did the older Wizard know that they didn't? Katarina was very shy and withdrawn, choosing to mostly hide behind Legolas with a tiny squeak. This action caused Boromir to laugh loudly, Aragorn to raise a brow curiously, and Legolas to turn slightly to look at her. He stopped his movements when her hands grabbed his tunic to use him as a shield from the Fellowships' gaze.

Gandalf smiled and decided to speak. "What is your name child?"

"Kat—Katarina, sir." She answered quietly, still hiding behind the elf.

To which Legolas responded with a sigh and gently pried her clutching her fingers from his tunic, guiding her to stand beside him. "You need not be frightened, little one. We wish to help you find your way home." He looked at Gandalf. "Gandalf, she's lost and seems to know not how to get home. She hasn't told us where her home is yet and knows not how she came to be here. Can we help her? She has no food or means of protection; we cannot just leave her here. There has to be something we can do, if only give her provisions."

"You are right, young Greenleaf, we cannot leave her here. Although I know not how we will help her, for now she will ride with us. We will simply have to think of the solution to her problem as we continue on our current path, at least until the next village we cross."

"Gandalf, we cannot possibly take her with us! To think it is madness!" Boromir exclaimed angrily.

"We must, Boromir, for there is a greater plan at work here in Middle Earth that we must not meddle with. Now, with her agreement, we will move on."

"Very well, Gandalf. The newcomer will ride with me. I will keep an eye on her." The Ranger offered respectfully, dipping his head to the older male.

Katarina blushed as she mounted Aragorn's horse, Valiant, for her skirt rose a few inches higher. She couldn't look any of the Fellowship in the eyes because of her embarrassment at her indecency. Aragorn gave her his cloak to cover her legs which made her feel much better about her indecency, and end the view of her legs.

She sighed in relief. "Thank you, my lord. I did not intend to appear so indecent, but I do not have any of the clothes necessary to blend in to your way of living."

He chuckled at her, before looking over at Legolas. "Legolas, do you have any extra tunics for our temporary companion? We cannot have her looking so indecent; it could attract the wrong attention if we come across anyone else on this journey."

"Tunic?" She and the elf asked simultaneously. But the Elf asked further. "Why must I give her one of my tunics?"

"Yes, my lady-Legolas. Or at least a pair of breeches to wear under her . . . present attire."

Boromir glared at the young woman heatedly and spurred his horse forward, near the front of the group. She frowned at his retreating back; he had been horrid to her the entire day since they met this morning, the rest of the Fellowship seemed only wary of her. She was brought back to herself when someone placed something light across her lap. She turned to see Legolas had given her a pair of brown breeches. "Thank you, Your Highness."

The entire group seemed to halt their actions and gaze at her with shock mixed with suspicion and curiosity. Gandalf immediately spurred his horse over to her, demanding in his no-nonsense tone. "How did you know his lineage?"

She froze and her gaze darted from the elf to the old Wizard. How could she be so stupid as to let slip her knowledge of Legolas' lineage? What if they left her here because they thought her evil? Or worse, killed her? "I—I just . . . He seems like he would be a prince, there's a majestic air about him I think. I did not mean to offend anyone."

Boromir narrowed his eyes. "How do we know she isn't a spy of Saruman?"

Katarina glared at the Gondorian for a moment, and then cocked her head to the side. "Wait a minute, who?"

Gandalf frowned at the mortal man. "No, she is not Sarumans' spy, of this I know for sure. She is from an entirely different world that we have not yet discovered. The journey to return her to her home will be a difficult one. I cannot guarantee we will be successful in this quest to return her, but we must try nonetheless."

"What world does she hail from?" Merry asked curiously.

"I hail from a land called Italy, on a world called Earth. It is much different than it is here; there is less green and more dead plants. Instead of Orcs killing Men-Men kill each other over things like food, water and shelter." Katarina said sadly, staring off into the distance remembering the wars of Earth.

"There is much sorrow in your voice for one so young." Legolas stated, watching her closely with sharp blue eyes.

"Yes, there is much sadness in my world."

"We should move on. The sun is sinking further in the sky and we have a good distance to go yet." Gandalf said as he appraised the horizon.

That night the Fellowship and their guest rested by a warm fire and ate _lembas_ bread with a bit of pork. Katarina slept on the roll Aragorn so generously gave to her and still felt guilty since she found out it was his own but he would not allow her to return it, saying that it was not right for a man to sleep comfortably while a woman does not. She gave up trying to fight with the Ranger and sank into a deep, fitful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Katarina woke to the sounds of people shuffling around, coins clinking softly in pockets, and metal pots clanging together. She opened her eyes, wincing at the sudden brightness as she waited for them to adjust to the light before turning her head to see most of the Fellowship sitting around the fire passing around _lembas_, fried mushrooms, and leftover pork from dinner. She sat up slowly and stretched with a yawn, hearing many pops from her back and shoulders. She grimaced at the stiffness from riding yesterday, deciding to look around a bit more to check things out before they had to move on again. She nodded her head in approval, liking the way the geography of their camp hid them from passerby, turning her head and catching a dark haired Rangers' eye. She smiled at him warmly, meeting his grey eyes with brown. "Good morrow, Aragorn."

Aragorn smiled cautiously when he saw her notice him and scooted a plate full of food out toward her. "Good morrow. I saved some food for you, Katarina. Hobbits like to eat quite a bit, especially in the morning. We will all need our full strength for the journey today; we push on toward the Mountains with as much speed as possible. There will be much climbing ahead and possibly other dangers involved as well."

"Thank you for your concern over my well-being, my lord. That is most kind of you." She gratefully accepted the plate and eagerly began eating, thinking about what she remembered from _The Lord of the Rings_ novels. So far all she remembered were names of characters and that Frodo had already volunteered to go to Mordor. Not to mention that Legolas was a Prince in his woodland world. All these thoughts were a welcome distraction from the thought of climbing anything, let alone mountains.

"Lady Katarina, how are you feeling today?" Legolas asked casually in his musical voice.

"I am feeling fine, Legolas, thank you."

"Are you feeling particularly hungry?"

She realized that she had been eating like a pig, the most disrespectful and rude thing to do in front of the Fellowship. "I am so, terribly sorry. It's just, I have not had anything to eat since the night before you found me and even then, I didn't have much. I didn't want to bother you since we needed to move quickly."

"You should have told us! There's no reason for you to have gone so long without eating." Aragorn exclaimed, looking ashamed and concerned. Ashamed because he let his cautiousness interfere with helping her and concerned since she had gone so long without eating.

"It's alright, my lord. I'm eating now and I won't be any worse for wear." Katarina replied, trying to eat as quickly as she could without appearing rude.

Boromir scoffed indignantly. "You rude, undisciplined _child_."

"_Excuse_ me? I am twenty-two years old. Even in your world that qualifies me as not being a child. I am very well disciplined, but when someone starves for an entire day they would naturally be very hungry and momentarily forget mannerisms."

"I don't know what nonsense you just spouted but in my world a lady does not behave in such a manner. Gulping down your food like some barbarian!"

"Who are _you_ to call _me_ a barbarian? You do not have any kindness in your heart, sir, so _you_ are the barbarian!"

"I never! You ungrateful parasite!"

"You overgrown ass!"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Gandalf commanded, giving both parties a fierce scowl. "Not another word from either of you! We will continue toward the mountains without any further disruptions on either of your parts. Boromir will ride up front with me and Katarina will ride with Aragorn."

She and Aragorn nodded in compliance. She turned back to face the campfire and focused on finishing her plate. The Fellowship packed up after breakfast, quickly cleaning the area and Gandalf's riding assignments were followed. Aragorn was mostly silent during the first two hours, each of the Fellowship turning to her every once in a while with a wary eye. This in turn gave Katarina time to enjoy the scenery. Sometime during the ride she became cold and leaned forward a little more, trying to block the cold with the Rangers' body heat.

"Are you chilled, my lady?" Aragorn asked kindly, turning his head slightly so he could see her face.

"No, my lord. I was merely trying to look ahead to see how far we have travelled and how far there is yet to go before we reach our destination."

Aragorn raised a sceptical eyebrow, frowning at her for her dishonesty.

Katarina sighed, before replying. "Yes, my lord. I have tried to hide it in hopes of it getting better but I guess it will not. May I borrow your cloak, any extras you may have will do just fine. I don't want you to get cold." She was genuinely surprised when Legolas gave her his cloak. "But my lord, will you not need this?"

"Nay, my lady. Elves do not experience hot and cold like mortals do therefore I do not need the cloak. You may keep it as long as you wish."

"Thank you, my lord."

"You are welcome, my lady. It is my pleasure to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible on this trip."

They stopped for lunch after a few more hours. Katarina sat with the Hobbits today; she found the way they viewed life so endearing. So innocent, so free, so cheerful it was contagious. She wondered if all the Hobbits in the Shire were like that, for Frodo seemed to be depressed. She knew it was because of the Ring, and wanted so much to take all the pain away. But she knew she could not and it made her sad. _If only I could bring him back to Sicily with me and find someone stronger to take the Ring to Mordor_, she thought wistfully.

Aragorn was watching her from beside Gandalf across the fire, concern etched into his grey eyes. Legolas sat beside them and diverted the Rangers' attention for a while. Katarina thought they were discussing the Fellowships' next move, rationing off food and all that other serious talk. So she decided to hum to herself while watching the Hobbits argue over their portions of food and drink.

"My lady, where is the Italy you spoke of earlier?" Pippin asked quietly, dragging her from her thoughts.

"Italy is a little country of my world, caught between two bigger countries that don't get along with us very well. We have several different languages which accounts for most of the arguments. Our songs can be heard through the hills, whispering to the people the things they need to hear. Our music can be heard on the wind, calling to those who are not in the city limits. We dance in the streets, everyone is welcome and we are surrounded by food and drinks. Children laugh and babies coo with their little voices while the adults drink and dance like wild flowers. The only time we ever feel truly free is on those days." She said as her eyes received an unfocused look, viewing sights from far away—a completely different world.

"That sounds lovely, my lady. What kind of songs do your people sing?"

"All kinds of songs, my dearest Merry, for we love to sing and write. We believe it allows us to share our love for our people—for our country—_with_ our people."

"Will you sing us a song from your world?"

"Yes, yes, will you?"

"Please! Please, Katarina."

"_La danza alberi al vento, il cielo si canta ai bambini. Tutte le persone gioire. Tutte le persone gioire. Le madri vanno le vostre figlie, i padri andare ai vostri figli. Le creature della Terra sono collegati tra loro da un cerchio d'amore. Tutto il mondo gioite. Tutto il mondo gioite. Fidati di te stesso con creazioni nature '. Rientrano nella chiamata della musica come cantiamo. Segui il tuo cuore e troverai un mondo senza sofferenza. Tutto il mondo gioite. Tutto il mondo gioite_."

"That was beautiful. What did you say?"

"It was a song about all the creatures of the world uniting into one harmony and rejoicing in the peace they found. It is my favourite song from home." Katarina explained with a soft smile on her face.

"It was a beautiful song. Can you teach it to me?" Sam asked with excitement dancing in his eyes.

"Yes, dear Sam. I would enjoy teaching you the song on our journey. But for now we should begin packing, we have a long way to ride today." Katarina said while gathering the Hobbits' plates. She was on the way to the water source to wash the dishes when she noticed that Legolas, Aragorn and Gandalf were looking at her with interest. She blushed and continued cleaning up, hoping the Ranger would not bring up the event during the upcoming ride.

The rest of the day was mostly uneventful due to the maintained riding assignments set by Gandalf and Katarina trying to teach Sam the song she sang to the Hobbits during lunch. The Wizard appeared to be distracted by something, which in turn worried Aragorn, which really worried Legolas. By the time the Fellowship settled down for the night, the tension was so palpable you could cut it with a knife. She decided to sing a few other songs from her home which eased much of the tension, but aggravated a certain Gondorian to no end. Aragorn once again gave Katarina his bedroll but she put up a much harder fight this time, she refused to take his bedroll from him a second night.

"My Lady, I would not have you sleep on the ground. It is unspeakable of me to do so, I absolutely will not!" Aragorn stated stubbornly, offended that she would think that he would allow her to sleep on the cold hard ground.

"Aragorn, I have slept on the ground before and I can certainly do it again when it is necessary. It may not exactly be necessary at the moment but it is unfair of me to ask you to give up your bedroll twice." Katarina shot back defiantly.

The arguing escalated until they were breathing hard from frustration, glaring at each other in hopes the other would crumble. She finally relented when Legolas offered his bedroll instead, and they all (except Legolas, who had the watch that night) settled down into a deep sleep.

**translations**

_**La danza alberi al vento, il cielo si canta ai bambini. Tutte le persone gioire. Tutte le persone gioire. Le madri vanno le vostre figlie, i padri andare ai vostri figli. Le creature della Terra sono collegati tra loro da un cerchio d'amore. Tutto il mondo gioite. Tutto il mondo gioite. Fidati di te stesso con creazioni nature '. Rientrano nella chiamata della musica come cantiamo. Segui il tuo cuore e troverai un mondo senza sofferenza. Tutto il mondo gioite. Tutto il mondo gioite.-The trees dance in the wind, the sky is singing to the children. All the people rejoice. All the people rejoice. Mothers go to your daughters, fathers go to your children. Creatures of the Earth are connected together by a circle of love. All the world rejoice. All the world rejoice.** **Trust yourself with Natures' creations. Fall into the call of the music as we sing. Follow your heart and you will find a world without suffering. All the world rejoice. All the world rejoice. **_

**A/N: I apologize if my translations are incorrect, I got them from Google Translate. If anyone who speaks Italian wants to do the correct translation and send it to me, you may. I would like to say a thank you to my beta PhoenixNimbus.292 for putting up with my near constant bombardment of docx documents to proof read. **


	3. Chapter 3

_Katarina was singing and dancing in the streets of Sicily with her two brothers and the other residents of the vibrant city. Everyone was smiling and laughing as they celebrated the arrival of another baby in the community. Alessandro Donato tried to get Katarina to dance with him more than once that night but she knew that her best friend, Carissa Benedetta, would be upset with her. She has been trying to gain his attention for the past three years, but the man will not give up on Katarina and the fact makes her more than a little uncomfortable. Aragorn stepped out from behind the Leonoras' house and walked to her, leading her away from Alessandro and toward the most remote part of the city. His dark hair was partly tied back so she could see his beautiful eyes shining at her with love and admiration. She raised herself onto her tiptoes so she could bring her face closer to his until their lips touched; he gladly accepted her, pulling her as close as their bodies would allow and deepened the kiss. His hands gently tugged the straps of her dress down her shoulders slowly, kissing the skin he uncovered. She pulled him closer, allowing him to lift the hem of her dress to slide her black lace panties off of her and lift her to the wall as he undid his breeches, readying his member to enter her. . . . _

"Katarina, wake up! Wake up!" Someone shouted anxiously, shaking her shoulders vigorously while not applying enough pressure on her upper arms to hurt her.

"Mmh, what? What's wrong?" Katarina asked, jumping into a sitting position.

"You were not waking, my lady. When you did not respond to my attempts to rouse you, I feared that you had passed in your sleep. Please forgive me, I was only trying to help you." Legolas finished with a little shame, for it was inappropriate to be in such a close proximity with a lady as he had been when he was trying to rouse her unless they were married, she was his mistress, or they were family. He did not want to upset her if she thought the same way he did about personal boundaries. The last thing he needed was her thinking he was about to rape her or make her his mistress for the remainder of the voyage without her consent.

"It is alright, my lord. You were worried about my health and that alone is very sweet of you." She replied kindly with a gentle smile. "I hold no ill will against you, dear Elf, for I know you hold no ill will against me."

A joyful smile graced his heavenly face and his eyes lit up at her quiet reassurance. She patted the top of his hand playfully, glad to see that he was cheering up a bit. She started to giggle at his confused expression, their eyes met and held. Boromir scoffed, breaking the small moment between the two and drew attention to the duo from Aragorn and Gandalf. Katarina blushed and looked at the ground in embarrassment while Legolas bowed his head respectfully to the three and hurriedly left to gather herbs from the forest.

Merry and Pippin walked over to Katarina, grinning like a couple of drunken fools. "Good morning, my lady. How did you sleep?"

"I slept very well, thank you Pippin. And yourself?" She replied politely.

"Very well, my lady. But I daresay I am starved this fine morn."

Chuckles could be heard around the camp at the young Hobbits' statement.

Katarina shook her head at her dear friend. "I do believe that dear Sam will have our breakfast ready before long. We must practice patience my dear Pippin. For in life not all the things we wish for happen immediately, they take time to happen and sometimes longer than we would like. But the point is, dear Pip, patience is a virtue and good things happen to those who wait long enough."

"What?"

"It is something that we say from my world. It is very common in my country."

"That's preposterous! I will not listen to any more nonsense from a rude, smelly, indignant, undisciplined _child_ that knows not what she speaks of!" Boromir sneered in disdain.

"I know more in my little finger than you do in your tiny, insignificant brain!" Katarina retorted heatedly.

"How dare you call me dumb? I am far more educated than some grimy, disgusting _peasant_ like yourself!"

"Better to be a peasant than some bone headed aristocrat that cannot tell a horse from a long haired rat!"

"Better to be a bone headed aristocrat than a smelly, uneducated whore!"

"Boromir! That's enough!" Aragorn commanded angrily, glaring at the Gondorian seated across from him.

Merry and Pippin glanced between the two Men anxiously, hoping almost desperately each would not draw his sword on the other. Katarina went to the Hobbits and touched each of their shoulders, looking between the warriors nervously. She did not want Aragorn to get hurt because of her pride and reckless words.

She sighed in relief when Gandalf intervened, to say he was furious would be a major understatement. The sky darkened and thunder sounded in the distance, he seemed to grow taller and his voice boomed dangerously as the thunder. "Cease this nonsense at once! There will be no fighting in this camp!"

"I'm sorry, Gandalf."Aragorn replied quietly.

Katarina eyed Boromir angrily, refusing to believe anything he said but the thoughts boiled her blood like a stew on a fire. A silence ensued, where she had time to get angrier and angrier at the sexist Gondorian pig. They glared at each other from across the campfire, eyes blazing with fury. Legolas chose this moment to return from foraging in the forest with a bag of herbs. He looked around the camp, sensing the tense air surrounding Fellowship and wondered vaguely what had happened in the short time he had been gone. "What has happened? What has made Katarina and Boromir glare at each other so?"

Aragorn glanced between the Italian young woman and Gondorian soldier for a moment. "They have had another . . . disagreement, a fiercer disagreement than the last argument they had."

"And did our wildflower strike back as fierce as he?"

"Aye, that she did laddie. That she did." Gimli grumbled from his corner of the camp.

"How do you think we should go about de-thorning the rose, Gimli?" Legolas asked with a smirk.

"I know not, laddie. I know not if ya can . . . and to be honest with ya I would not want to try."

Aragorn chuckled heartily at this. "But dear Gimli, you never know what may happen until you try. Don't you agree, Legolas?"

"Aye, _mellon nin_." He replied, glancing at Katarina as discreetly as possible under the circumstances.

She was singing softly to herself in her natural language, watching Merry and Pippin dance around in circles around the fire with their bowls on their heads. He listened to her tinkling laughter, noticing the light in her eyes as she smiled at the Hobbits, wishing they would shine at him like that. The Elf Prince was entirely unaware that someone else was caught by her charms, for a certain dark haired Ranger was indeed intrigued by the foreign beauty and her kindness towards the Hobbits. That night both males dreamt of the beautiful maiden, though the content of their dreams differed immensely, their interest in Katarina was equal.

In Legolas' dream she was singing to him in a beautiful meadow of wildflowers. "_Venite il mio amico e unirsi a me, in un viaggio attraverso il mare. Non so dove andremo, tutto quello che so è quanto voglio sfuggire a questo mondo di violenza. Vieni con me a un campo d'oro, circondato da cumuli di grano tenero, per quanto possiamo vedere. Vieni con me attraverso l'oceano di sogni e dimmi cosa c'è nel tuo cuore! Prego, ti prego, vieni con me_."

Meanwhile, in Aragorn's dream Katarina was dancing for him, and somehow they ended up in Rivendell. He didn't mind since he loved the Elven city dearly and he could share it with the beauty by his side. She would sing and dance to Elvish crowds by the fire and enchant them with her flowing language. She would wear flowers in her hair, and help everyone who needed a hand because of her kindness and willingness to assist.

The night wore on and none of the Fellowship was aware of just how much the foreign beauty was affecting two of the most resilient warriors of the group, nor how they would in turn affect her.

**Translations**

**Vieni mio amico e unirsi a me in un viaggio attraverso il mare. Non so dove andremo, tutto quello che so è ciò che voglio sfuggire a questo mondo di violenza. Vieni con me a un campo d'oro circondata da mucchi di grano, per quanto possiamo vedere. Vieni con me attraverso l'oceano di sogni e mi dica cosa c'è nel tuo cuore! Ti prego, vieni con me-Come my friend and join me on a journey across the sea. I do not know where we will go, all I know is what I want to escape this world of violence. Come with me to a field of gold surrounded by piles of wheat as far as we can see. Come with me across the ocean of dreams and tell me what's in your heart! Please, please come with me**

**A/N: I know it feels like these chapters are getting shorter and I'm really sorry! I've been running out of material per chappy. I've been trying not to give too much away while at the same time give you a good lengthed chapter. Thank you to my beta PhoenixNimbus.292 for correcting grammar errors I missed. You made this story a lot more understandable!**


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Katarina woke earlier than the rest of the Fellowship, which was extremely unusual for her. It had been a week and a half since the Fellowship had found her alone in the woods near Rivendell and she began traveling with the group. They were currently camped in the woods at the base of the Cadaras Mountains, making for the east shore of Mordor. They still had several days ahead of them before they reached their goal, meaning a lot more riding and climbing for them all. She decided that she would cook for the Fellowship that morning since she had caused trouble with Boromir on several occasions when there had been peace, causing stress to the Fellowship. She searched the provisions until she found some _lembas_, potatoes and a bit of ripe fruit they had found at the bottom of a tree the day before. She borrowed the now clean pot Sam had used for dinner; he had been a good sport and washed it after he served dinner. She began boiling the potatoes with some herbs Legolas had brought back from one of his walks. As Katarina stirred the potatoes in the pot she thought back to last week.

_-Flashback-_

_Katarina watched as Boromir tried to teach the Hobbits how to fight with swords. She admired the Hobbits' courage to try to fight since she was a person to stand up for herself with words, not injure someone physically with violence. It was against her nature to harm someone else, no matter the reason. _

_Aragorn commented on the Hobbits' forms once in a while but mostly searched their surroundings for danger. Katarina smiled to herself, the Ranger may appear dangerous upon sight to most, but to those who look past the exterior see the kind man who prefers to harm no one if it can be helped. He was a compassionate soul who became a warrior when the time demanded but gentle other times. Legolas watched the skies constantly, scouting for any possible dangers to the Fellowship. Gimli and Gandalf were discussing which way they wanted to take while Frodo and Sam tried to decide what to eat for lunch. _

_Suddenly Legolas tensed, staring intently into the sky for a few seconds before urgently calling down to them from his place upon a high boulder. "Crebain! Hide!"_

_Katarina had turned to search for somewhere to hide, eyes darting around her surroundings frantically, when she was grabbed and pulled beneath a bush and landed on something warm. She turned her head to the side and met a muscled chest clothed with a dirt brown tunic, her eyes traveled up to see a kind face and grey eyes framed by dark hair looking back at her. Aragorn. Their eyes met and held, oblivious to what was happening outside of their bush. She was drawn by his eyes; they seemed to be pulling her closer . . . . closer . . . . closer . . . . _

"_Is everyone alright?" Legolas called, looking around the camp. "We should discuss our next course of action. It seems this passage is being watched."_

_Aragorn and Katarina immediately broke apart and dusted off, they walked to separate sides of the camp and involved themselves in the discussion. They exchanged several glances over the fire during the rest of the night and slept as far as possible from each other when they lay down to sleep. The next morning, they continued on like nothing had happened and no one was the wiser. _

_-End Flashback-_

Katarina shook the memory out of her head and sighed at herself in exasperation, staring into the pot. _I need to focus on the food not pining over a Ranger_, she scolded herself. She jumped when Legolas sat beside her and ate a piece of _lembas_ bread, watching the potatoes circle the pot curiously. "Good morrow, my lord."

"Good morrow, my lady. Will you take a walk with me?" He asked suddenly as he watched her douse the fire to keep the pot from boiling over.

"I would like to take a walk this morning. Thank you for asking me."

Katarina followed Legolas to the woods so they could gather as many herbs as possible on the walk since they would leave for the mountains later that morning. It was silent for a while before either found the courage to speak.

"How did you sleep?" He asked politely, starting the conversation with small talk.

"Decent, I suppose, and yourself?" She replied kindly, trying to keep the yawn from her voice. She had not slept well at all which was why she was up at this time.

"Elves do not really sleep, my lady. We enter a state of rest while able to keep an eye on everything surrounding us."

"Oh, well then how did you rest?" She asked with a small giggle.

"Fine, thank you. Would you like to tell me why you were unable to sleep?"

Katarina slowed, causing Legolas to be pulled back a little bit. She was quiet for a moment before answering, her eyes on the ground.

"I had another nightmare, _mellon nin_. In the dream I was walking across a beautiful meadow, after a while I saw smoke rising from over a hill in the distance. I ran to see what was happening and I saw a town burning—everything was burning. There were children lying dead in the street and women bleeding all around. There were no men to protect them for they had all gone to fight in the war. Everyone was dead and Orcs were e-e-eating t-their bodies. It was s-so t-_terrible_!" She sobbed, covering her face with her hands and shook her head, trying to banish the images from her mind.

He shushed her gently, rubbing her arms for warmth and comfort. She clung to his shoulders as she soaked his tunic with her tears. She stayed there until her tears slowed and her sobs subsided, keeping a cheek against his chest for the comfort his body warmth provided. _He's so warm_, she thought. Legolas began to sing to Katarina softly, rubbing circles into the skin of her back while he waited for her to calm down completely. She raised her head to look at him; her shining chocolate brown eyes met his beautiful ice blue eyes and she watched as they slowly inched forward. She was caught in their depths; she could drown in them forever and not mind at all. Slowly . . . slowly . . . their lips moved toward each other until they met in a soft, yet passionate kiss. She moaned, opening her mouth to allow him entrance, their tongues battling for dominance. He placed his hands under her butt and lifted her carrying her to a soft patch of grass a few feet away, laying her down gently. She moaned into his mouth, arching into him when he ran his hands down her body. Katarina moaned loudly when Legolas attacked the tender skin of her neck, grinding his hardness against her core and lifting the hem of her tunic so he could kiss the skin of her abdomen. He began to undo and lower her breeches while she attacked his mouth again. She started when he bit her neck but relaxed into him when his tongue licked it, taking the sting from the wound.

_What am I doing_? She thought, suddenly coming to herself.

"Wait." She pleaded as she pushed against his chest, sitting up to straighten her clothes and hair.

He looked at her, cocking his head to the side in confusion. "I do not understand. Did you not wish to make love?"

"We are just moving so fast, Legolas." She responded breathlessly. "I need a moment to catch my breath."

"I apologize if I alarmed you, my lady. I was too forward with you and it could be seen as taking advantage of you in your time of sorrow, which I did not intend." He said regretfully, brushing the hair from her face.

She felt the heat pulsing between her thighs increase when he touched her skin, pulling him back to her as she fell back onto the bed of grass. She allowed him to undo and lower her breeches, fingers trailing the skin he exposed. She was not wearing any panties underneath so he could see everything, his eyes half lidded as his fingers trailed her legs. Katarina sat up to lift her tunic from her body, tossing it away and bringing Legolas down to lay on top of her. She slipped her fingers underneath his tunic, shuddering with delight when she felt his toned abdomen and slowly lifted the tunic from his body. They threw it together to where hers had landed, focusing now on his breeches and the large bulge straining against the fabric. She undid his breeches, slipping a single small hand into the darkness taking him into her hand and caressing him causing him to moan. She proceeded to stroke him for a moment, mentally calculating how large he was. He was a great size, leaving her to wonder if he would fit her since she doubted she could stretch to accommodate him.

He shuddered, kissing her fiercely while she held him firmly yet not to the point of pain. She released him, helping him lower his breeches and looked down to ensure they had cleared his legs when she caught sight of his manhood. She gasped and shivered as she pulled him closer, letting his grind his hardness into her core causing her to moan. She arched her back when his hand found the part of her that burned the most, exploring her womanhood with experienced fingers earning a moan from her. After a moment he withdrew them and lined his manhood at her entrance before thrusting into her warmth. Katarina cried out and clung to his shoulders as he filled her repeatedly, starting slowly before soon quickening his pace. Her soft sighs and gasps became fevered moans and cries as he pounded into her, pleasuring her body.

"So close . . . so close! _Legolas_!" Katarina screamed as her body tensed, spasms of intense pleasure overwhelming her. She felt Legolas withdraw from her and a burst of warmth against her thigh, his head resting between her breasts. She flipped them over in the heat of the moment, lowering herself onto his member slowly. She gasped a little as she began to move, feeling his member move within her. He grabbed her hips as she proceeded to ride him placing both hands on his chest for support. He thrust his hips upwards to meet her downward strokes, their heads thrown back as they indulged in their carnal pleasure. She let her hands wander up to message her stomach and breasts as she pleasured him, they both moaned loudly when his member went deeper into her. Katarina sped up soon, thrusting faster and harder until she felt Legolas' member begin to pulse within her. His body tensed under her and they fell into a joint orgasm, bodies racked with intense spasms. She collapsed onto his chest, hair splaying over the ground beside his face, and both breathing heavily as they came down from their high. When she did not move on her own, he gently guided her off of him and positioned her so she lay beside him.

A few moments passed before they regained their breath enough to find water and bathe before dressing.

Katarina sat staring at the view from beside the pool where her previous lover was currently bathing, playing with a blade of grass as she patiently waited for her hair to dry. After a few more moments, she heard a series of small splashes as the blond elf made his way to shore to dress. She waited until she was sure he had the opportunity to dress completely before turning her head his direction.

"Legolas, we should not have done that." Katarina whispered as she gazed at the freshly washed elf.

"I'm sorry, Katarina. I should not have began something we would both regret." He replied formally, holding out his hand to help her up.

"I participated as well. _I_ should be the one to apologize to _you_, Legolas; I did not mean to lead you on like that. I know not what got into me. I hold you in high regard as a friend and do not wish to ruin such a friendship, but now is not the time to be doing these sort of things. Please understand."

"I understand, my lady. I promise not to continue on this course until the time is right, but I would like to walk you back to camp if you would allow it."

"I would like that very much, thank you." Katarina took Legolas' arm and together they strolled back to camp, unaware that someone hidden in the bushes nearby had seen everything that had transpired. . . . .

**Quick A/N: I will say this one time. There is a chance at a Legomance, but not for a while if it does occur. They are having casual sex for now. It happens, I will say no more.**


	5. Chapter 5

The Fellowship had begun their journey once breakfast was finished and the camp was cleaned of any evidence indicating they had passed. They had begun the hike up the Mountains with assigned partners in case they got buried in the snow, her partner was Aragorn. The horses had been released due to the threat of the cold air and lack of grass to feed them, meaning the Fellowship had to carry their supplies in those darned heavy packs again. Katarina blushed when she remembered the events of that morning with Legolas. She had sex with him for shit's sake! She didn't even know the man that well which made things worse for she felt like a total slut for her actions. _How could I have been so stupid!_ She chastised herself. _I can't go jumping into things. Sure, I know a little about him from the books but not that much and I haven't talked with him all that much about pasts. Just learning each other's languages out of curiosity to how they differed_. _I can't be doing these things now! Frodo_ _needs_ _me_. She was startled out of her reverie when Gandalf announced that they should pick up the pace if they wanted to reach the end of the pass before they all froze to death. It had been steadily snowing since they woke that morning; the wind added an extra bite to the bitter cold surrounding them.

"Did you read much in your world?" Aragorn suddenly asked from beside Katarina.

"Yes, my lord. Every child reads in my world, it is part of how they grow up. Our elders teach us songs and books but most importantly how to draw and write. There is even painting among all things." She replied, smiling at the memories of home. She missed her brothers, but knew she was somehow needed here and that made the thoughts of being away from her brothers easier to bear.

"Painting? What is this painting you speak of?"

"I know not how to explain it to you, my lord, in terms you will understand. I am sorry to have baited you with information I could not provide for you."

"It is alright, my lady. I know you mean well."

"At least you do. Boromir thinks all I am doing is trying to find a way to ruin the chances of the Fellowship reaching Mordor. If I am such a burden please tell me, for I do not wish to cause the Fellowship any trouble."

"You have not, my lady. Boromir is already being seized by the power of the Ring; you are innocent of his accusations. I do not doubt that at all."

"Thank you for your faith in me, my lord."

Katarina and Aragorn were deprived of their moment when Legolas declared that there was a voice on the wind. Gandalf shouted the very name Boromir had said so nastily upon her arrival. Everyone looked around as the mountain began to tremble and snow began to fall more rapidly than before. Legolas looked around nervously as the old Wizard began chanting something loudly in a foreign language, seemingly trying to counter whatever this Saruman was trying to do with his spell. The snow still fell and instead of getting better, things seemed to be getting worse for the miles of mountain above them rumbled loudly.

"Gandalf! We must turn back! We cannot defeat Saruman here!" Aragorn shouted loudly to the Wizard, who was desperately trying to counter the other wizards' spell.

"No!" The elder man cried and turned back to the task at hand shouting louder than before if that was even possible.

The mountains rumble increased in volume until bits of rock and a great amount of snow began to rain down on them from the mountain above. Aragorn dove toward the wall and the Fellowship followed suit as they were surrounded by blinding whiteness and deafening sound. Katarina was suddenly very, very cold and it was dark all around her. She sighed—or rather tried to sigh for she found that she could not breathe or move anything below her shoulders. _What? No! This cannot be happening! _She thought frantically, trying to open her eyes. She was met by white, nothing but white and cold. _Oh my God I'm buried_! She proceeded to dig her hands into the snow, clawing frantically above and around her, dismayed to find that the snow was packed more above than around. _Wait! That means they are probably walking right above me! I have to keep trying_. Katarina began clawing at the snow above her with renewed vigor, ignoring the painful cold that seized her and the shortness of breath that plagued her lungs. She was soon getting lightheaded and the cold was making her hands numb, so they were getting heavier and harder to use. Blackness began creeping into the corner of her eyes, slowly making its way across her vision until slowly . . . . slowly . . . . she was covered completely in darkness.

*Legolas*

As Legolas looked around the Fellowship counting mentally he froze at nine, panic gripping his heart. _Katarina_! "Aragorn, where is Katarina?"

The Rangers' panic caused the immortals' heart to cease beating for a moment, before increasing its pace dramatically. Aragorn spun around and yelled to the rest of the group. "Search the ground! Katarina must still be trapped under the snow! Find her!"

The Fellowship dropped to their knees and began digging frantically in the snow. The Elf saw a minute drop of snow a little to Aragorn's right and nudged him, pointing at the area. "Aragorn, the snow dropped there. She is alive, she has to be."

Everyone surrounded the area and began digging together to try to get her out of the snow faster; the cold could be dangerous after a certain amount of time buried underneath it. They dug for what felt like hours, their hands became numb and clumsy as the cold crept into their bones. After what felt like a long time, they finally saw a small pale hand sticking out from a pocket in the snow. They dug faster, renewed vigour allowing them to uncover another hand and her beautiful brown hair. Katarina was extremely cold and limp, her eyes were closed and she didn't respond to their touch as they lifted her from the pocket. Aragorn placed two fingers at the place a little under her jaw, feeling for a pulse and for a few moments all was still as the Fellowship waited with racing hearts for the answer to their unanswered question. Was she still alive?

After a few minutes Aragorn sighed in relief. "Thank the Valar, she's alive! Gimli search your pack for the blankets. We must use them to warm her before she gets too cold and her body begins to fail her. Try to hurry, Gimli."

Another minute and Katarina was swathed in three blankets and another was used as a pillow until a safe path was cleared to go back down the mountain. It was clear they were not going to continue on this path. Legolas volunteered, with Boromir, to walk down the mountain and back to clear the path while the rest of the Fellowship watched Katarina.

"Be careful, _mellon nin_. The mountain could collapse again while you are out and you will not have the protection out there that is provided by the overhanging. Safe journey." The Ranger clasped arms with Legolas as a farewell before he and Boromir departed with one last glance at the still unconscious Katarina.

*Katarina*

Katarina was dreaming of walking through a pleasant wood with friendly trees that walked and talked, telling her stories and jokes from the lands they were bred in. They seemed to not be of Middle Earth for they knew jokes from her beloved Cecily. She heard the winds calling her name as they blew through the branches of the trees, begging for her to follow. But before she could take more than three steps, another voice called her name . . . a familiar voice.

"Katarina! Katarina!" A deep, male voice called to her. It sounded desperate and concerned for some reason she could not comprehend. She knew that voice!

"Aragorn? Aragorn, where are you?" Katarina called, looking through the forest but not seeing a trace of her friend. "This isn't funny, Aragorn. Show yourself!"

"Katarina! Wake up!" He shouted again, louder this time, sounding afraid. "Katarina, _please_!"

She was confused and found that this was not right. She was supposed to be on the mountain with Gandalf and the Fellowship, not in the middle of a forest. Then . . . what happened?

She focused hard, closing her eyes and furrowing her brow in concentration. She slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to see an anxious Aragorn leaning over her as if he had been shaking her senseless the entire time. "Aragorn, what's going on?"

His tense posture relaxed as he heaved a sigh of relief, his grey eyes watching her closely. "You were buried under the snow, my lady. We feared you were under for too long when you would not wake. Are you alright?"

"Yes, but what happened? How did I get out? I was buried so deep." She asked in wonder, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"We—Legolas—found you and covered you while he and Boromir went back down the mountain to clear a path. I am so glad you are alright."

"Thank you for your concern, my lord, but I am indeed alright. Why did Legolas and Boromir go?"

"They volunteered themselves, my lady."

"Only because I knew you were in good hands." A distinguished voice said from beside them. Katarina turned her head to the left and saw Legolas standing behind Aragorn but Boromir was not with him.

"I was, indeed. Legolas, where is Boromir?"

"He is with Gandalf and Frodo discussing the next path we will take." Legolas stated distastefully, making a face.

"Arguing with them is more like it. That seems to be all the man can do is argue, nag, and complain about things that we have no control over." Katarina commented dryly, making Aragorn and Legolas snicker.

"Rest, little one. Your body needs more sleep after the struggle you put up today. We still have much deciding to do, sleep as long as you must." The Elf said kindly, smiling at her softly. He began humming a soft tune that had Katarina drifting into a peaceful slumber.


	6. Chapter 6

"We should take the west road to my city! None of this Moria business." Boromir shouted in a scathing tone.

"No, Boromir. Gondor takes us too close to Isengard, and Saruman. We must take the road to the Mines for the Horse lords of Rohan do not trust outsiders and we will more likely be killed than allowed to pass then the entire effort would be wasted. I will not allow that to happen." Aragorn stated fiercely in a determined voice.

"And who are you to command me? Last I knew we were equals and you were not our leader. If there is to be a leader then it should be me." The Gondorian warrior stated, puffing his chest out like a proud rooster.

"There is no leader of the Fellowship, only a guide. We have chosen Gandalf since he is the oldest and wisest of all of us, having traveled these lands before any among us was born."

"I still say we take the Ring to Gondor."

"I stand with my choice firmly, Boromir. Gondor will not see the Ring of Sauron."

"Aragorn is right. Gondor will not use the Ring." Gandalf commented in a firm yet tired voice.

Gimli looked around the small gathering consisting of himself, Gandalf, Aragorn, a tense Boromir, Frodo, Sam and Merry. Pippin was fast asleep after the exhaustion of the day. "I would say we were taking the long way 'round. Gandalf, I vote for the road leading through the Mines of Moria."

"No, no, _no_! We cannot go that way! There is no telling what could be in those _Mines_ you speak of!" Boromir snarled angrily.

Katarina had woken a half hour ago but did not want to disturb their important discussion, so she mostly tuned it out. She watched Legolas sharpen his twin blades on the boulder not far from where she sat. The Fellowship was back in their old camp—the camp they stayed in the night she had sex with Legolas. She blushed as he met her gaze steadily, lowering her eyes in embarrassment before plucking up the nerve to go to him. She smiled timidly at him while she found the words to speak. He jerked his head to the side, wordlessly indicating a walk and she nodded gratefully. A while passed in silence while they watched the scenery and each other a bit timidly.

"My lord, I needed to speak to you about the other night." Katarina began formally after a long silence.

"Please call me Legolas. What did you wish to speak about?" Legolas asked a little less formally and more than a little curious.

"We need to talk about the incident that occurred during our walk." She explained, pink tingeing her cheeks.

"Katarina, we do not have to talk about it if the subject makes you uncomfortable." He suggested sweetly.

Katarinas' heart warmed at the kindness of the Elf Prince.

"Legolas, I need to explain my actions that night. You see, I do like you—very much—but I do not know you that well yet. I am so sorry if I hurt you in any way for I do not intend to, but for now we should avoid being alone lest another incident happen. For both our sakes, please follow this request."

"Katarina, there has to be another way."

"Legolas, please! I ask this of you for the sake of both our honor. I do not wish to be named whore if this ends badly for us."

Slowly Legolas nodded his head, noting the tears that had begun forming in her eyes at her plea. "Alright, Katarina, please do not cry." He pulled her into his arms and held her till her soft sobs became sniffles. She felt safe and warm in his arms, accepting the comfort his warmth gave her. She broke away after a moment, straightening her clothes and stepping away from him.

"Thank you for agreeing. I just want to get to know you more, as friends." She explained, while keeping eye contact.

"I understand. Thank you for explaining everything to me." He smiled at her until he heard something to his left. His eyes narrowed and he silently withdrew an arrow from his sliver, knocking it just as silently in his drawn bow. Legolas' sharp eyes trailed the area, searching for signs of danger while pushing Katarina behind him.

"Legolas, _cosa c'è di sbagliato_?" She whispered anxiously.

"_Non lo so, Katarina_. _Qualcuno è vicino, ma non posso dire che per si stanno nascondendo bene_." He answered in the same manner, eyes darting around the trees.

After a moment of silence Boromir walked up to them casually, seeming to not notice them. Legolas lowered his bow and cleared his throat, meaning to get the Gondorians' attention. Katarina quickly lowered her eyes, not wanting Legolas to have to shoot Boromir because she upset the Gondorian warrior in some way. The warrior looked up and his eyes were bright instead of stormy as the young woman expected. He smiled at Legolas and Katarina smugly, hands behind his back and a spring in his step.

"Hello Legolas, Katarina." He said in an upbeat tone.

"What has you happy may I ask?" Legolas asked curiously while putting away his weapon. Katarina was glad he asked for she was still confused.

"I have been thinking of Gondor returning to its former glory. It would be magnificent to behold the White City new and thriving once again." There was a wistful look in the other mans' grey eyes. He seemed to come to himself and turned his attention back to the Elf. "I apologize, Legolas. I will return to camp now."

Katarina watched Boromir leave with a confused look etched on her face. _What on Earth was that about? _She thought, bewildered. _I wonder what he slipped into his water before coming to see us. _"Legolas, we should probably go back to camp. They may have decided which path to take by now and we do not want to miss the packing. I do believe lunch should be served soon, as well."

Legolas shook his head and chuckled. "The Hobbits are rubbing off on you, Katarina."

"Just a little, only because I find them so endearing." She took the arm he offered and they walked back to camp. _Now for another hard discussion with a certain Ranger after lunch, _she thought with a mental sigh. _Maybe I can make sense of all this before dinner_.

The Fellowship was quiet as they ate lunch and packed for the beginning of the journey to the Mines of Moria. Gandalf wanted them to walk as far as they could today before stopping for dinner and sleep. Partners were assigned and this time Katarina volunteered to be paired with Legolas, leaving Aragorn to pair with Frodo. As she told herself, she went to Aragorn and asked him to help her pack since her left arm still bothered her. They packed in silence for a moment before she finally gained the courage to speak to him.

"Aragorn, where do you come from?" She asked softly as she carefully packed leaf-wrapped _lembas_ into her bag.

The Ranger paused for a moment and his grey eyes went misty for a moment. "Numenor, my lady, a race of Men called the Dunadain. They have an extended lifespan that could range to twice that of a normal man. Most of them died out several years ago, but I am still here. What of you, my lady? Tell me more about the land you come from. What are your people called? Do your people have a name?"

"Yes, my lord, we do. We are simply called Italians for we are from the country Italy and speak the Italian language. My lord, if the Dunadain have a longer lifespan and they died out many years ago, then how old does that make you?"

"I am eighty-seven years old."

"But my lord, you do not look older than fourty-two!"

"I do not age like you do, I cannot. I will eventually die but not for many years. It is part of being one of the Dunadain."

"That must be a blessing and a curse, to seem to not age yet see the ones you love die for they do not have your lifespan. That would be terrible, my lord, how do you cope with that thought?"

"The truth is that everyone I have cared for so far has been a Wizard or an Elf so there is not really any trouble with the thought of dying before the ones I love; but I do worry about how my death will affect them. I do not wish for them to weep once I have gone, for I wish to not cause them suffering."

"My lord, you must understand. I do not wish for you to be so hard on yourself, for you do not need to be. All the people who love you know you have a long lifespan and they embrace the fact of many years with you instead of so few that most get. I think it is more blessing then curse for you, since you do not have many mortal attachments. But my lord, you must have faith in everything possible, for if there is no faith than there is no hope. Everyone needs a bit of both." Katarina said softly as they finished packing.

"What if there is a time without hope?" Aragorn asked sadly.

"There is always hope." She whispered, touching his face gently.

Their moment was broken when the Fellowship began pairing up, Katarina went to stand beside a beaming Legolas and Aragorn went to find Frodo. For now everything was working perfectly.

**translations**

_**cosa c'è di sbagliato**_**-what's wrong**

**Non lo so, Katarina. Qualcuno è vicino, ma non posso dire che per loro si nascondono bene-I do not know, Katarina. Someone is near, but I cannot say who for they are hiding well.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Katarina walked beside Legolas, listening as he spoke to her about his childhood and growing up in Mirkwood. He was especially fond of the story of when his father saved him from a giant spider during a hunting accident. The Elf princes' face it up when he told the part of the story where his father battled the great beast, scooped the young prince into his arms and returned home safely. Katarina listened eagerly, glad to see her friend so jubilant after all that had befallen the Fellowship.

"That was an amazing story, Legolas. Do you have any more?" She asked hopefully, to the Elfs' amusement.

"I do believe so, my lady. It is the story of when I made my first bow. I was very young at the time, two hundred and seventy five years old I believe, when my father came to me in my room. He sat with me on my bed; put his arm around my shoulders so he could look me in the eyes. He said to me 'Today is the day I can show you how to make your very own bow, my son. Get changed into your most casual tunic and meet me outside the palace.' I was excited that day, for I had always wanted to make a bow and be just like my _ada_." His voice held a smile and his blue eyes shone with happiness. "I changed quickly and met him outside like he asked. We spent almost the entire day carving and sanding the wood into the shape we needed, all the while talking about trivial things. There are not many occasions where we can do that when he has to rule an entire kingdom while I'm still growing up."

"That must have been very nice for you, to be able to spend the day with your father like that."

"It was, Katarina, it was. We sat down together in that manner when I made the bow I have now." Legolas removed the bow from his back and ran his hands over his beautiful weapon lovingly. "My father took me on my first hunting trip with this bow and I killed my first prey with this bow. It holds a dear place in my heart since it is built and used early on as an instrument to bring us together. I even killed my first Orc with this bow, when _ada_ and I were patrolling the grounds one evening."

Katarina was intrigued with the stories he had to tell. His world was different from hers; his world was different from almost everything besides other Elven cities. She wondered briefly what it would be like to live in that world; to dance and sing with Elves, to twine wildflowers in her hair and run through the forests with the animals. What it would be like to make bows and other beautiful things with her Elven friends, to never be anything but free. It was a world full of possibilities.

"My lady?" The Elf asked from beside her.

"Hm? Did you say something, Legolas?"

"Nay, my lady, but you seemed to have something on your mind. Would you care to tell me what it is?"

"It is nothing bad, my lord. I was thinking of how wonderful it would be for the world to be healed and new again. What it would be like running through beautiful forests with the natives."

"Do I count as a native?"

"Of course, my lord. I was thinking of animals but I suppose it could mean native people as well."

"Really? You like animals?"

"Yes, my lord. If I had my way in my world, there would not be as many buildings and everyone would see what it was like in the forests. That way they could respect the forests and the animals that live there more than they do. Here it is different because you do have that respect, exceptions being Orcs and Saruman of course."

"Your respect for the forests is enlightening, my lady. It brings my heart joy to know a mortal truly cares about what happens to them."

"Thank you for an insight into your thoughts, my lord." Katarina said modestly.

"You are welcome, my lady." Legolas smiled as they caught up to the Fellowship.

Katarina looked up to find Aragorn looked at them with interest and another emotion she couldn't name. She dismissed it as she turned to focus on Bormoirs' grumpy complaints on their slow pace. She thought about her life in Sicily; the language, the dancing, the people. She missed her family the most. She jumped violently when a hand touched her shoulder, throwing her hand back to prepare herself for punching the person.

"Easy, my lady! It is just me!" Aragorn said quickly, holding his hands up in surrender. "I just wanted to speak with you and Legolas for a while."

"I am sorry, my lord. You startled me." Katarina breathed in relief, pressing a hand over her heart.

"Let us speak of it while we walk a little faster. I fear our Gondorian may go mad if we continue our leisurely pace." He suggested with a chuckle.

Legolas smiled, but his smile soon slipped as they encountered the solid wall that stood several feet high. I felt paniced at this new discovery, I couldn't climb _that_! I'd kill myself trying to get up less than half of that! My heart stopped for a second, then restarted pumping doubletime. There was no-absolutely NO-way I was climbing that!

Legolas seemed to sense my fear for he rubbed soothing circles in my hand. "I will be right behind you, Katarina. I will not let you fall, I promise."

I could see the honesty in his beautiful blue eyes as he gazed at me.


	8. Chapter 8

_I can't believe I'm doing this_. Katarina thought with huge butterflies fluttering around in her stomach, making her feel like she was going to throw up. Her hands began to shake even before she went anywhere near the cliff. She could see Aragorn talking with Gandalf and Legolas about something, which made her even more nervous. _What were they thinking? What are they going to do now_?

Legolas broke away from the group and walked toward her, soon followed by Aragorn. She began to really get nervous then, because they're just so darn _hot_! "Katarina," Legolas began in his smooth, musical voice. "We have decided we will not climb, we will go around it."

She sighed in relief. _YES_! She roared mentally in triumph at the learned statement. "Okay, then. Let's get to it I guess, have a long way to walk if it's as huge as it looks."

The two men laughed before they made the long trek around the HUGE blockade. After several hours they reached a rocky path that led to another large wall across from a large muck filled lake. Everyone settled down while Gandalf turned to a enormous stone wall. He began looking around as the moonlight shone done upon a certain spot a glow slowly spread on the wall until a golden arch with writing appeared. He began muttering spells and phrases in several different languages while he put his staff against the arch on the wall. Katarina sat by Legolas and put her head on his shoulder, trying to get some sleep while she could to rest up for the upcoming trek. She could feel eyes on her but couldn't find the will to care who they belonged to, she was too tired.

"_Mellon nin_, I see the traveling have made Katarina weary." Aragorns voice mused from his place across from the Elf.

"It has, she has done well today." Legolas replied quietly, unaware that Katarina could hear them. "It comes as a surprise that she would choose my shoulder to rest on and not yours."

"Mine? Why would she prefer my shoulder?" The Ranger asked in a stunned voice.

"Do you not see? She watches you most intently whenever she has the chance, speaks to you with such eagerness, listens to you with much intensity and whispers your name while she slumbers. Has all these things escaped your notice?"

"I cannot believe I admit it but yes, these things have escaped notice. Thank you for shedding light this day, _mellon nin_, it has proven useful."

"You are most welcome."

Katarinas' heart melted with the Elfs' kindness, Legolas knew where her heart lie and did not hesitate to tell the Ranger it belonged to him. He did not try to covet her for his own selfish desires as another would have, that is why she cared for him so much. She stirred, pretending to just awaken from a dream and yawned, stretching her limbs. "Has anything happened? Has Gandalf had luck?"

"Nay, my lady, he has not." Legolas answered with a frown. "I know not what keeps him from finding the answer to the riddle upon the door."

"Perhaps living so long has allowed him to forget the one thing he needs this moment. He may be wiser and older than us, but he also is not perfect and is capable of making mistakes."

"Thank you for your wise words, they have helped me understand."

"Legolas, may I speak with you for a moment? Alone." She added with a blush as she rose and walked out of earshot.

Legolas followed obediently, curious to what Katarina had to say. "You wished to speak with me?"

"Thank you, _mellon nin_. I heard your conversation with Aragorn and your kindness for informing him of my affection. I know why you did it and am deeply touched by your selflessness. Both of why I care for you so much-you are one of the kindest, selfless men I have ever known. I am sorry I cannot give you the love you seek, but know that you are one of my dearest friends and I wish you the best the Valar can give you." She answered, kissing his cheek before embracing him.

"Thank you, my lady. I only wish you the greatest happiness." He replied as he hugged her, giving her a gentle squeeze before releasing her.

They returned to the Fellowship and watched as Gandalf struggled with the wall. Out of the corner of her eyes, Katarina saw Pippin throw a stone into the lake and the ripples spread through the water. Suddenly a tentacle much like that of an octopus snaked out of the water, grabbing Frodo and trying to drag him into the water. Sam tried to cut Frodo loose but tentacles shot from the water and flung him back as they flailed in every direction.

"Aragorn!" Katarina yelled as she ran for the water, trying to get close enough to slice the tentacles. She was thrown backward by a large tentacle, landing on something hard and warm. The object collapsed under her sudden weight with a grunted curse. She looked up to see the one person in the Fellowship she despised, quickly pushing herself up and standing while brushing off her clothes. She could see Aragorn and Legolas charge at the beast, trying to get the Hobbit down. Suddenly the beast raised itself higher from the ground, the tentacle holding Frodo changing direction, now heading straight for the monstrous creatures mouth. Legolas managed to shoot the creature in the head a few times, while the two Men hacked and sliced at the creatured flailing limbs. Katarina charged again, ignoring the pain as she was struck multiple times by the creature in her attempt to get closer to the limb holding Frodo. Finally she was thrown back, flying swiftly through the air and cried out as she crashed rather painfully into the wall.

_I can't do this_, she thought as she looked up and saw the Fellowship still fighting the monster. _I have failed them_. She thought in despair, letting her head fall back to the ground.

Suddenly Katarina heard Frodo yell followed by Boromir shouting "To the shore!" The Fellowship fled towards the arch, the beast trying to snatch them as they struggled through the water.

Katarina shoved herself up with a new burst of strength and limped to the wall, pushing against the walls as she yelled "_Mellon_!" Her companions rushed inside and together, she and Gandalf attempted to push the doors shut. They abruptly halted their actions when they noticed that the beast had followed them onto shore and had begun gripping the stones, making huge chunks of stone tumble down around the Fellowship. Katarina quickly shoved Gandalf to safety before she crounched low and threw her hands over her head in protection while she braced herself for impact.

"Katarina!" Voices shouted anxiously before she was overcome with the loud rumbling and shaking of the rubble. Pain shot from various places on her body and a terrible pressure began building on her back. Darkness consumed her and her last thought before the unknown was _goodbye, my friends_. . . . . .


	9. Chapter 9

***Legolas POV***

I glanced around, counting in my mind how many companions stood inside the mines when I heard the creatures shriek. I spun on my heel in time to see Katarina shove Gandalf to us and crouch, using her arms as protection while the rubble fell among us. _No_! My mind shrieked in terror.

"Katarina!" I yelled, panic gripping my immortal heart as rubble covered her, shielding her from our view.

Before I realized what I was doing, I ran over to the pile of rubble and dug at the stone chunks with my hands. Aragorn and the Hobbits joined me while Gandalf provided us with light. Everyone clawed at the pile desperately, flinging the stones in our haste to get her free. Each of us silently begging for her to be in one piece.

_Please be alive_, my mind and heart begged. _Just hold on until we get there_. _Please, Katarina, just hold on. _

After what felt to me like an eternity we finally could see her, hope flared in my heart giving me a new burst of speed. We had her body totally uncovered now and were able to life her carefully from the rubble relocating hera few feet away, but it did not escape my notice that she remained unresponsive to our touch. My immortal heart stuttered before quickening, I gently touched her shoulder and proceeded to turn her onto her side. Aragorn knelt by her head, inspecting her for wounds while she was unconscious and his face became pained as he found numerous bruises and cuts on her. My companions looked at each other, trying to decided who would carry her so we could go further into the mines and safety.

"Who will carry her? We must proceed into the dark passages of Moria, we cannot afford to wait here for we have three days of travel before we reach the other side." Gandalf said as he looked around the group.

Aragorn gently took the unconscious Katarina into his arms, careful not to jostle her too much. "I will take her. Now let us be on our way, we have far to go before we rest again."

The Fellowship was on the move again, jogging through the depressing stone hallway as Gandalf led us on.

Katarina felt like she had been crushed by a few elephants when the fog finally lessened. Her back and shoulders hurt so _much_. She slowly opened her eyes, confused when she was met with darkness. _I opened my eyes didn't I_? She heard rustling and clinking nearby so she concluded that we were in the mines. A sigh of relief reached her ears so she turned her head to the right a bit.

"Gandalf, I think Katarina is awake." Legolas' soft voice could be heard in the stillness of the mines.

"Wonderful." The old Wizard replied in an occupied tone. Katarina knew he meant the comment but he was trying to find a way out of the mines that did not involve mass injury and death. These could weigh heavily on a mind, especially if there were nine other people you had to take care of.

"How are you feeling, Katarina?" Aragorn asked anxiously, hoping she was not too seriously hurt.

She didn't seem to hear his question, she was going through her memories trying to work out what happened. "I remember pushing Gandalf and the stone falling. Is everyone alright? Is anyone else hurt?" She asked frantically, trying to sit up but cried out in pain and fell back against the hard rock floor with a whimper.

"Katarina! Katarina, what's wrong?" Her friends replied frantically.

"I can't sit up. My back and my shoulder hurt so much. I can't do it, I am sorry."

"No, do not be sorry. None of this is your fault. You will be okay, I promise."

"Can you do something to help my back?"

"There may be something I could do but I would need light. Gandalf, could you afford to risk a little more for the sake of healing?"

"That may not be a good idea, Aragorn. There may be worse evil in the dark than the evil outside."

"If we do not try to heal her then we will have to take turns carrying her which will cause much more delay."

The elderly wizard seemed to think very hard for a few moments, weighing the consequences of each decision before making his choice. He sighed heavily before muttering to himself a little. The light around them brightened a bit, causing Katarina to squint. Aragorn reached into a pouch at his side and pulled out a small amount of some sort of plant, crushing them in his hands and reaching for a canteen. He carefully tipped his hand over the opening of the canteen, letting the crushed plant slide into the water. He had Legolas gently lift Katarinas' head so she could safely drink from Aragorns' canteen.

She coughed a little as she drank, her throat dryer than she thought. "Where are we?"

"We're at a crossraod as it were. Gandalf does not remember which way we should go to reach the other side." Aragorn answered as he gently urged her to drink more. She took a few more sips before replacing the lid and handing the canteen to the ranger. The Fellowship were indeed scattered around the small space resting against rocks while they could, each member attempting to not slumber in the creepy tunnel.

Legolas was watching a bit anxiously, much to Katarina's discomfort.

"How do you feel little one?" He asked gently.

"I'm much better now. Rock slides are no fun you know?" She joked weakly as she tried to forget his stare.

The elf did not laugh at her joke.

Katarina sighed and tried to sit up slowly. There was still a little stiffness in her back but it didn't pain her like it did before. "See, Legolas? I'm _fine_. Stop being such a worrywart."

"Seeing my friend being buried alive in a rockslide does not make me a worrywart." Legolas replied stiffly. "I was right to worry about your safety, my lady. When we recovered you, you weren't moving and we assumed the worst." His eyes bored into hers as he said the last part, challenging her to prove him wrong.

"I'm sorry I caused you worry,_ mellon nin_."

"It's good to see that you're feeling better, my lady." Pippin muttered with a bright blush coloring his little face.

"Thank you, Pip. I'm glad I'm feeling better, too." Katarina kissed the top of the Hobbits' head, giving them both a hug.

Gandalf frowned a moment more before snapping his fingers suddenly. "Ah! It's that way!" He said as he pointed to the passage to his right.

Merry sighed happily. "He's remembered at last!"

"No, Merry. When in doubt always follow your nose for it hardly leads a traveller astray." The wizard said as he stood with a stretch.

"Are you well enough to walk unaided, my lady?" Aragorn asked gently, piercing grey eyes gazing at Katarina. She always felt like he was searching her very soul when he looked at her like that. She shivered and drew her cloak tighter around her. Wait a second-cloak? She didn't remember putting on her cloak.

"I'm fine, Aragorn. Thank you for your concern. I don't remember putting on my cloak-did I have it on before?" She asked with a confused tilt of her head.

"Nay, my lady. I put your cloak on you for you were shivering in your sleep so I thought you cold." The ranger blushed a little as he confessed. She smiled warmly at him and tugged his face up so she could look into his eyes. She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He sat stone still for a moment in shock of her unexpected action.

"Thank you for what you did. That was sweet."

"Enough sentiments for now! We must move!" Gandalf thundered as the Fellowship hoisted themselves onto their feet to begin the long trek to the other side of the mountain. They each turned down the tunnel the wizard indicated, hurrying as fast as their weary limbs allowed.

**A/N: I know this chapter was short and long awaited and for that I apologize. I've had writer's block really bad for a while and can't come up with something for the upcoming events so I'll be a little slow with updates. Again so sorry for the wait!**


	10. Chapter 10

I know you guys were expecting a chapter and I'm sorry that its not. It's been a rough three months for me. My dads brain bleeds have gotten worse and he's just had his second brain surgery in two weeks to relieve the pressure in his head. I haven't had the creativity or drive to write anything and I don't know when I will be able to write again. Please understand.

Love Poetgirl616


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